The Ministry of Environment (Korean: 환경부; Hanja: 環境部; RR: Hwangyeong-bu) is the South Korea branch of government charged with environmental protection.
In addition to enforcing regulations and sponsoring ecological research, the Ministry manages the national parks of South Korea.
[2] The mission of the Ministry of Environment is to protect the national territory from threats of environmental pollution and to improve the quality of life for the public.
This includes ensuring the people of South Korea can enjoy the natural environment, clean water and clear skies.
In February 2008, the Korea Meteorological Administration became an affiliate of the Ministry of Environment to facilitate countermeasures against climate change.
After several reforms and the expansion of environmental authority, the Environment Administration was launched as an affiliate of the Ministry of Health and Society, in 1980.
For areas designated as Riparian Buffer Zones, new construction of pollution sources such as restaurants, accommodation, spas, apartment housing, factories and warehouses are prohibited.
After three years from an area's designation as a Riparian Buffer Zone, the existing pollution sources must discharge sewage only after it has been processed to BOD and SS[clarification needed] levels below 10ppm.
Therefore, pilot studies on the ecotoxicity of discharged water for fish (minnow), daphnia magna, and birds have been undertaken since 2002, to examine the toxicity of unknown harmful materials outside of emission standards items.
The Act on Water Quality and Ecosystem Conservation was amended in November 2007 to adopt an integrated toxicity management system based on the result of this research.
Tele-Monitoring System (TMS) refers to a system that monitors the emission state of pollution materials on a 24-hour basis by creating an online connection between automatic measurement devices, which are attached to the discharging outlet of wastewater processing facilities and wastewater-producing businesses, and a remote water quality control center.
A reasonable and objective effluent charge is determined in order to improve policy credibility by identifying the exact pollution level for each period of time.
Though soil comes from stone weathering, it takes various forms such as clay, silt, sand, and gravel, depending on the mineral compositions of rocks and metamorphic processes.
In 2002, with the Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup providing momentum for the establishment of an eco-friendly food consumption culture, the government pushed local governments, restaurant organizations, and civil organizations to establish a voluntary agreement for the reduction of food waste, and implemented it with a focus on the cities in which the football games of the World Cup were to be held.
Therefore, the government began to provide funds (30% of the total funds required) to establish public disposal facilities that transform food waste into feed for poultry, compost and bio-mass, and has been promoting the cooperation and participation of citizens to establish a culture of resource recycling in Korean society.
The items on which waste charges are imposed include insecticides, containers of toxic chemicals, antifreeze, chewing gum, disposable diapers, cigarettes, and plastic products.
[5] The Ministry of Environment has made significant success in improving water and air quality and conserving ecosystems by introducing various environmental regulations.
However, in order to overcome the recent economic downturn and strengthen national competitiveness, it is necessary to conduct regulatory reforms, without undermining environmental quality, to create a better business environment, reduce public inconvenience and to raise the effectiveness of regulations.
Areas allowed for land development within regions subject to Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) will be increased.
However, progress in enhancing the water quality of the Paldang Dam has been slow, due to small development projects that are not subject to the above-mentioned regulation.
It eased the regulation on factories that meet certain standards such as not discharging industrial waste waster and treating all emitted sewage through public sewerage system.
First of all, improvements made on Total Air Pollution Load Management System include: Next, some changes were made on TMS System as follows: Heavy restrictions have been put on land development in protected areas and on historic sites designated as natural parks for public interest.
Constructing condominiums in natural parks has been restricted since early 1990, because such buildings could lead to a sense of inequality among different social classes.
That reduced costs and time for drawing up examination documents, and laid the foundation for improved management of harmful chemicals through mutual recognition of test data with OECD countries.